Adjustable key



Oct. 13, 1953 c. J. BORDA 2,655,029

ADJUSTABLE KEY Filed July 15, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 13, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE KEY Carlos Jaramillo Borda, Bogota, Colombia Application July 13, 1951, Serial No. 236,566

. 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to an adjustable key for use with locks of the type in which the paths of movement of the tumblers are parallel to the axis of the plug of the lock. A look of this general type and a key suitable for use with such locks are illustrated and described in my prior Patent No. 2,473,273 of June 14, 1949.

The present invention is an improvement over the adjustable key shown in the patent above mentioned. An object of the present invention is to provide a key which is more sturdy, economical and simple than the key of my prior patent. A further object of the invention is to provide a key having a wider range of adjustments.

An understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a front elevational view of a lock with which the key is intended to be used;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through a lock and key, and showing the key about to be inserted into the lock;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, showing the relative positions of the elements of the lock and key after insertion of the key into the lock;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the key in condition for use;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the key in position for adjustment;

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows along the line 6-6 of Figure 4, and;

Figure '7 is a longitudinal sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows along the line 1-1 of Figure 6.

The lock is illustrated as incorporated in a member II which may be a door, the front of a desk drawer, or any other appropriate member which it is desired to lock in a particular position. The lock includes a generally cup-shaped housing 12 which is recessed into the member I I. The plug of the lock is designated by the numeral l3, and this plug is rotatable within the housing l2 when certain tumblers hereinafter described are in appropriate positions. The plug I3 is provided with a stem l4 which carries at one end a cam or lever l5 which controls the bolt of any appropriate locking mechanism, not shown. An annular ring I6 is secured to the housing 12 and to the member H by means of screws IT. The inner edge of the annular ring l6 overlies the periphery of th plug l3 to prevent removal of the plug from the lock.

The plug I3 is illustrated in Figure 2 as occupying a position which causes the lever or cam 15 longer than the tumbler IS. The tumblers I8 and 19, as well as the other tumblers, are backed by compression springs 20 which are positioned" The inner ends of springs 20 abut the ends of screw plugs 2m which are threaded into the housing l2. The screw plugs 21a are readily removable to facilitate.- The outer ends of the tumblers l8 and I9 abut against the enlargedi in wells 2| in the housing l2.

interchange of tumblers.

inner ends 22 and 23 of thrust members 24 and. 25, respectively. The combined length of thetumbler I8 and the enlarged portion 22 of thethrust member 24 is equal to the combined length of the tumbler l9 and the enlarged portion 23 of the thrust member 25.

The plug l3 can be rotated to release or retract the bolt of the look only while the tumblers l8 and 19 are in the positions illustrated in Figure 3. It will be apparent from an inspection of Figure 3 that the tumbler I8 has been depressed by the thrust member 24 to such an extent that the tumbler lies entirely within its well 2|. It will also be seen that the tumbler [9 has been depressed by means of the thrust member 25 to such an extent that this tumbler lies entirely within its well 2|. It will be seen, however, that the tumbler l B has been depressed to a much greater extent than the tumbler IS.

The foregoing brief description is sufficient to explain the manner of operation of the lock. I have described the movements of only two of the tumblers, but it will be understood that the other tumblers embodied in the lock are operated in a similar manner. It is preferable that no two of the tumblers in any lock be of the same length, thus making it necessary to mov the thrust members corresponding to the members 24 and kby different amounts during opening of the The key is provided with a body member 26 having six longitudinally extending parallel pas sages 21 therein. The passages 21 may receive pins in the manner illustrated in Figure 2. The pin 28 is intended to cooperate with the thrust member 24 of the lock and the pin 29 is intended to cooperate with the thrust member 25. Since the thrust member 24 must be depressed by the greater amount, the pin 28 is longer than the pin 29. The pins in the remaining four passages of the key will be of appropriate lengths to properly cooperate with their respective thrust members.

All of the pins of the key are provided with similar heads 30, and these heads bear against the rearward end 3| of the body member 26. A handle member 32 is hinged to the body member at 33, and is provided with a suitable clasp 34 to retain the body'm'e'mber and handle member in operative" relationship. The handle member 32 is provided with a plane surface 35 I which is parallel to and spaced from the rearward end 31 of the body member 26. face 35 bears against the rearward ends of the heads 30 of the pins when the body and handle members are in the positions illustrated in Fig.-

sur-

' type in which a plurality of tumblers extend -paralle1 -to the axis of the plug, said key comure 4 and 7. The surface 35 is preferably pro vided with a rubber or rubber-like covering 36.v

The body member is also provided with a central passage 31 which may be used to carryaspare pin or used to'temporarily receive apin during adjustment of the key. The body member 26 alsois providedwith a rectangular cavity 38 which is intended to-cooperate with a rectangular projection 39 on the lock. The cavity 38 and the projection 39- assist in positioningthe key relative tothe lock andalso serve to assist in transmitting from'the key to the lock the force necessary torotate the cylinder.

The handle member 32 may also be providedwith av plurality" of passages 48, which extend transversely therethroug-h. These passages are for thepurposeof, receiving and storing additional pins.

It will beapparent from the foregoing description that for any given. lock'or 'forany given combination of-tumblers within the-lock, the key must have. pins.- of. the proper lengths in the passages 21. Only one: combination. of .pinswill.

be operativeto actuate thelock, and that combination of pins must be arranged properly in the passages-of the-key. Thekey can beopened for adjustment as illustrated inFigureI-fi and it is a simple matter: to scramble the pins so that they. must beadjusted by one. havingflthe required informatiombefcre the. key can again be used 1120 open.- the lock. It-is possibleto remove certain; ofthe pins whieh'have been in passages inthe body memberand"to substitute pins. which have been taken "from the passages in the .handleimemb'en It "may be helpful for the pinsto be provi'ded 'wi-th numbers on their heads 30, and for-the passages 21 to'be provided with letters adjacent thereto on the surface 312 prising a body member defining a plurality of parallel passagesextending from the forward endto the rearward end thereof, said passages being arranged for'axial alignment with correspondingftumblers of the plug of the lock with which the key is to be used, the rearward end of said-body member being a plane surface normal to said passages, a pin in each ofs'aid passages,-

the'forwardends of said pins terminating within said passages, heads on the rearward ends'of said pins bearing on the rearward end of said body member, a handle member a hinge attaching said handle member to said body member, said handle member having a plane surface thereon which is normally disposed parallel to and spaced from the rearward end of said body member, said surface of said handle member engaging said heads of said pins'and clamping the same against the rearward end of said body member, said handle member being swingable on said hinge to withdraw said surface of said handle memberfrom engagement with the heads of said pins to permit removal. of said pins from said passages, and releasable clasp means for reta'ining saidhandle member in position to'clamp said heads of'said pins against the rearward end of said'body' member.

'CARLOSJARAMLLO B'ORDA.

- References Cited. in the file'of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date"- f,

51,152 Deitz Nov. 28, 1865 510,234 Bexell et al. -i- Dec. 5, 1893 1,642,725 Frischmuth Sept. 20. 1927 1,851,986 Rubsamen Apr. 5, 1932 2,423,734; Sterner July 8', 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date- 429,593 Germany' May 31, 1926 

